The result would be a nine-member delegation, House and Senate, of eight Republicans and one Democrat.

I checked with an expert in Alabama's political history, former U.S. Rep. Glen Browder, and he confirmed it. The last time Alabama's delegation had so few Democrats was 141 years ago, in 1868-69.

Right after the Civil War, during which Alabama had no one in Congress, the state elected all Republicans. Democrats started gaining a few seats back and took over completely in 1877, after federal troops were withdrawn from the South, Browder said.

Republicans, Greenbacks and Populists held a few seats through the rest of the century, and then after the adoption of the 1901 Alabama Constitution, Democrats dominated until the 1964 Goldwater election. Soon after, though, Democrats retook the majority in Alabama's delegation and held it through 1996. At that point, Republicans took over and have held the delegation lead ever since, Browder said.

But with Browder, Bright, Tom Bevill, Bud Cramer, Earl Hilliard and Artur Davis, Democrats held at least two seats in the last several Congresses. Going down to one would be historic.